Toy vehicle



Jan. A

W. J. TRAHANT TOY VEHICLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 14 1922 gin/newtonJan. 22 1924.- v W. J. TRAHANT TOY VEHICLE Filed Aug. 14 1922 3Sheets-Sheet 2 v gwventoz 742 cf 17 7a fiafit atto'cmaq jam. 22 1924.

W. J. TRAHANT Toy VEHICLE Filed Aug- 14 1.922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Eli)Patented Jan. 22, 1924.

ATE? FFIE.

WILLIAM J'. TBA-RANT, OF NEJV ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

TOY VEHICLE.

Application filed August 14, 1922. Serial No. 581,611.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM J. TRAHANT, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State ofLouisiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Toy Vehicles, ofwhich the following is a specification.

In carrying out the present invention it is my purpose to provide a toyvehicle which may be used by children and which will be constructedafter the fashion. of an automobile and may be propelled by hand by theoccupants of the vehicle.

It is also my purpose to provide atoy vehicle of the class describedwherein the handle bars ma be folded up when not in use so that theoccupants of the vehicle may readily enter and leave.

Furthermore, I aim to provide a toy vehicle for childrens use which willembrace the desired features of etliciency, simplicity and durability,which may be manufactured and marketed at small cost and which willembody comparatively few parts and these so arranged and correlated asto reduce the possibility of derangement to a minimum.

lVith the above recited objects in view, and others of a similar nature,the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangementof parts set forth in and falling within the scope of the appendedclaims In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a toy vehicle constructed inaccordance with m invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the same.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the body of the vehicle withparts removed.

Figure -11 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation partly in sectionshowing one of the operating handles.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 4:.

Figure 6 is a detail plan view of the crank.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on line 7-7of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, 1 designates the body of myimproved toy vehicle which, in the present instance, is shaped after thefashion of an automobile body and is mounted upon the front groundwheels 2 and rear drive wheels 3. The rear drive wheels 3 are mountedupon an axle 4 and one of such drive wheels is fixed to such axle, sothat in the rotation of the axle motion will be transmitted to thevehicle to propel the latter over the ground. The body 1 in the presentinstance is formed with a front compartment 5 and a rear compartment 6,and in these compartments are seats 7. the seats in the frontcompartment being divided by an aisle 8. The body is also equipped witha top 9 made after the fashion of an automobile top and a wind shield10.

In accordance with my invention I mount within the aisle-way 8 astandard 11 which, in the present instance, is substantially A- shapedand has the lower ends of its legs formed with'outwardly extendingflanges 12 that are bolted or otherwise secured to the floor of thebody.

Suitably fastened to the under side of the floor of the body below theframe 11 are bearings 13 spaced apart transversely of the body andjournaled in these hearings are the ends 14 of a crank shaft 15. Thiscrank shaft is formed with two cranks, as clearly illustrated in Figure6, and fixed thereon is a sprocket wheel 17 that is arranged in the sameplane as the sprocket wheel 18 that is fixed to the rear axle 4: of thevehicle. Trained over these sprocket wheels 17 and 18 is an endlesschain 19 by which motion is transmitted to the rear axle from the crankshaft when the latter is rotated.

Pivoted between its ends to the upper end of the frame 11 is a lever 20arranged longitudinally of the vehicle and having its opposits endsbifurcated or forked as at 21. The outer edges of the legs of the forkedends 21 are formed with shoulders 22 arranged below the plane of thelever and pivoted within each bifurcated end upon a pivot bolt 23 is oneend of a handle bar 24:, the other end of said bar being provided withhand grips25 that extend outwardly from the handle bar 24 in oppositedirections, as clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawings.

These handle bars 24; adjacent to their pivoted ends are formed withlaterally extending stop lugs 26 that engage the shoulders 22, so thatdownward motion of the handle bars may be transmitted to the lever 20.By reason of the pivotal connections between the handlebars and thelever 20 the handle bars may be swung upwardly to inactive position, asindicated by the arrows in Figure 2 of the drawings, thereby enablingthe occupants of the vehicle to leave and enter with ease and facility.

Also pivotally connected to the bifurcated ends 21 of the lever 20' are"the upper extremities of transmission rods 27. The lower ends of theserods 27 are connected to the crank portions respectively of the shaft15. The front supporting wheels 2 may be steered by the occupant in theusual manner by means of steering. wheel S.

In practice, the handle bars 24 extend into the front and rearcompartments respectively, as clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 ofthe drawings, and the occupants of such compartments may swing the lever20 about its pivotal connection with the frame 11, thereby transmittingmotion through the rods 27 to the crank shaft 15, thus propelling thevehicle.

I have entered into a detailed description of the construction andrelative arrange.

ment of parts embraced in the present and preferred embodiment of myinvention with a view to imparting a full, clear and exact understandingof the said embodiment. I do not desire, however, to be understood asconfining myself to the said specific construction and relativearrangement of parts, inasmuch as in the future practice of my inventionsuch changes or modifications may be made as fairly fall within thescope of my invention as defined by my appended claims.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is:-

1. An occupant steered wheeled vehicle including a body provided with afloor and having front steering and supporting wheels and rear drivingand supporting wheels, said body having front and rear seats with thefront seats spaced apart to provide an aisle therebetween, a standardmounted in said aisle and fixed upon the floor of the body, a crankshaft journaled transversely of the body beneath its floor, a leverarranged longitudinally of the body and pivoted between its ends to theupper end of the standard upon a horizontal axis, said lever beingprovided with handle bars at its ends operable by the occupants of saidfront and'rear seats for rocking said lever, transmission rods connectedto said lever forwardly and rearwardly of its pivot and connected tothecrank shaft for rotating the latter when the lever is rocked, and meansto transmit the rotation of the crank shaft to said rear driving wheels,said handle bars being pivoted to the lever for folding upwardly towardeach other and onto the lever when not in use.

2. An occupant steered wheeled vehicle in cluding a body provided with afloor and having front steering and supporting wheels and rear drivingand supporting wheels, said body having front and rear seats with thefront seats spaced apart to provide an aisle therebetween, a standardmounted in said aisle and fixed upon the floor of the body, a crankshaft journaled transversely of the body beneath its floor, a lever arranged longitudinally of the body and pivoted between its ends to theupper end of the standard upon a horizontal axis, said lever beingprovided with handle bars at its ends operable by the occupants of saidfront and rear seats for rocking said lever, transmission rods connectedto said lever forwardly and rearwardly of its pivot and connected to thecrank shaft for rotating the latter when the lever is rocked, and meansto transmit the rotation of the crank shaft to said rear driving wheels,said handle bars beingpivoted to the lever for folding upwardly towardeach other and onto the lever when not in use, and means to limitmovement of the handle bars to a position coextensive with the leverwhen swung to opera ti've position from their folded position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM J. TRAHANT.

